Method of producing metallic articles.



0. L. HEINTZ.

METHOD OF PRODUCING METALLIC ARTICLES.

' APPLICATION FILED 1111137, 1911. 1,037, 143.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

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*OTTO L. HEIN'IZ, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

METHOD OF PRODUCING METALLIC ARTICLES.

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Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Aug. 2'7, 1912.

Application filed June 7, 19 11. Serial No. 631,800.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, OTTO L. HEINTZ, acitizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented'new and useful Improvements inMethods of Producing Metallic Articles, of which the following isaspecification.

This invention relates to a method for producing articles of metal suchas jewelry, desk sets, &c.

The object of this invention is to produce such articles of superiorquality and at reduced cost. i

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view showing a metallicornament produced in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectionalview, taken in line 22, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding. parts throughoutboth views.-

In producing my improved metallic ornament a base a in the form of aplate or other desired shape is produced from a bronze compositioncontaining from eighty to ninety five per cent, of copper and from atwenty to five per cent. of zinc. Upon this base is placed theornamental facing b of silver, which may be of any desired shape orconfiguration. After the parts are thus assembled the sameare subjectedto a temperature which is below the melting or fusing point of the baseand, at or slightly above the fusing or melting point of the facing,whereby the facing is united with the base by fusing. In producing thisfusing connection between the facing and base only that part of thefacing next to the base melts sufficiently to make a fused joint withthe base while the upper part of the facing remains unmelted, therebyavoiding spreading of the silver and distorting of the design of theornamental facing. -This nonspreading of the silver is due to thepresence of the zinc in the composition of the bronze base, the zinccausing the silver to begin its fusing flow on its backside contactingwith the base at a lower temperature than would be possible if the basewere made wholly or nearly so of copper. The presence of the zinc in thebase also causes the under or inner side of the silver facing to fuseormelt partly before the upper or outer side thereof is me1ted, therebyenabling the facing to become attached to the base by fusing'withoutpermitting the facing to spread and distort the design. In the absenceof any zinc in the base it would require a much higher temperature tobring the back of the silver facing to the fusing point, which increasedtemperature would produce the objectionable spreading of the silver anddistortion of the design.

Upon heating the base and facing in the manner described'the zinc in thecopper of the base rises to the surface and acts as a flux which aids inuniting the base and facing at a temperature just high enough to causethese parts to stick together securely. If less than five per cent. ofzinc were present in the copper the heat required to bring the zinc tothe surface would be so great that the silver facing would be liable tomelt bodily and spread. If more than twenty per cent. of zinc is used inthe copper the base would be too soft and therefore be liable to melt tosuch an extent by the time the silver facing has reached the requiredtemperature that the facing would sink into the base and produceirregular and uneven work which would be unsa-lable and unacceptable tothe trade.

Borax or other fluxing medium is preferably placed between the opposingsurfaces of the base and facing so that the fusing action on the silveris quickened and aided in causing its inner or back side to fuseor meltpartly before its outer side is melted, thereby insuring a goodjointbetween the base and facing and further guarding against spreading ofthe facing.

Ornamental metal articles produced in accordance with my invention arenot only strong but also cheap owing to the omission of any solderingoperation, and the same are also of superior finish and quality.

* I claim as my invention:

The herein described method of producing an article of manufacturehaving a base containing from eighty to ninety-five per cent. of copperand from twenty to five per cent. of zinc, and a facing of silver, saidbase and facing being united without solder ,by prevent spreading of thefused .portion of subjecting said-base and facing While the the facing.v i same areincontacttoatemeratu -ebelowthe Witness my hand this-6th dayof June, fusion point of the base'an at a pointwhich 1911. i 5 will fuseonly-the surface of the facing in OTTO L; HEINTZ.

contact with the base and which will cause Witnesses: 7

the zinc in the base adjacent to the facing E. M. GRAHAM,

be drawn to the surface of the base and ANNA HEIGIS.

